


Landslide

by execution_empress



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Clintasha Week, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 09:59:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7635895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/execution_empress/pseuds/execution_empress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the help of Pepper and a song, Clint and Natasha get a bit closer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Landslide

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written and published on June 15, 2012, [this was the first Clintasha fanfic I ever wrote.](http://execution-empress.tumblr.com/post/25154373684/landslide-a-clintasha-fic)
> 
> I decided to clean it up a bit (not too much) and publish it on this site in celebration of Clintasha Week. It not only fit with one of the themes, but as a reminder of how far I had come and something uplifting. When I first wrote this, I was struggling with quite a bit. Depression, near-death, hospitals, physical therapy, betrayal - what got me through it all was this ship. So what else did I do but write as I was inspired by Glee (and some Archer) and listened to their version of 'Landslide' on repeat.
> 
> I want to thank everyone that participated in Clintasha Week and supported it. I also want to thank those that supported me as well. ♥ This is for all of you.

There were a very few things that could surprise Natasha anymore. Staying at Stark Tower with a billionaire playboy, a scientist with a rage beast inside, a super solider, and a master marksman, with regular visits from a demigod or two, certainly made things interesting. Add in a secret agent handler and Stark’s right hand woman and any traces of ordinary flew out the window.

A secret agent handler squealing as he holds and throws around a super shield like a frisbee? Seen it.

A demigod using lightning to heat up coffee and pop-tarts? Happens at least once a week.

The playboy and scientist bonding and watching Bill Nye the Science Guy? Please, she even heard them sing the theme song and sway their bodies to it.

Walking in on the master marksman and Stark’s personal assistant both with guitars, talking about Fleetwood Mac and songs? For Clint, she wasn’t surprised. Of course he would know how to play the guitar. He was very talented with those calloused fingers. (It’s a good thing Tony would never hear her say that or she’d never live it down.) Pepper? That was shocking.

The two looked up, happy to see her. Natasha knew she should have stepped out, pretended she never saw anything, maybe find the soldier and ask to see his artbook, but she didn’t. She was pulled in as soon as he spoke.

“Hey, Nat.”

She nodded cordially at them. “Clint. Pepper.”

Pepper had a smile on her face. Since their first meeting, it had become warmer, but there was something about it Natasha did not trust. “Natasha! Come on, sit down. We were talking about songs to sing along too. I was thinking of Adele and Clint was talking about Fleetwood Mac. Do you have any you like to sing to?”

She shook her head, staying by the doorway. “No, I don’t. I don’t like to sing much.”

“That’s not what JARVIS says.” The redhead shot the blonde a glare, but she deflected it with that same, damn smile. “JARVIS said he liked it, and JARVIS can’t stand Tony’s singing. That’s a compliment.”’

“I don’t think-”

“What if we sang with you?”

“That would be horri-”

“C’mon, Nat. Don’t put yourself down. You’re a great singer and we both know it.” If looks could kill, Clint would be six feet under and stone cold. She was about to snap at him when he spoke again, his voice warm and pleading. “Tasha, please?”

She can’t refuse then. She knows he only uses that name when it’s important, when he’s trying to reach her. She doesn’t sit next to them. Instead, she strolls over to the window and leans against the glass. Her cheek and temple feel the cool surface. Pepper and Clint know that’s the best they’ll get from the assassin.

“The guest gets to pick the song. What’ll it be?” Natasha’s mind seems blank. She’s not paying attention to Pepper’s question or the blonde herself. Her eyes are on Clint. There are little tells in everyone and he is no exception, fellow assassin or not. His eyes search the ground, briefly glancing up at her and fleeing away when he sees she’s watching. He’s tense and rigid, it’s all shown in his shoulders. His lips are thin and dry. She knows his heart has been heavy since Loki picked him apart and everything was laid open. Remembering what Pepper said before, Natasha knows her song choice.

A brief look towards the other woman and Natasha says, “Landslide. Fleetwood Mac.” The marksman’s head shoots up and they meet each other’s gaze. She smirks and he returns the same expression. Lyrics and words could only say so much, so looks had to fill in for the rest. “Pepper, can you start?”

Pepper starts strumming and Clint follows along. She’s glad to start, her eyes briefly bouncing between the two. Everyone needs a hand and she’s glad to give them a push. Her eyes are closed as she loses herself in the song.

_“I took my love and I took it down_  
I climbed a mountain and I turned around  
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills  
Well the landslide brought me down” 

She picks up two voices starting to join her. She sings with them, knowing they need just that one extra voice to hold onto their mask for a little while longer.

_“Oh, mirror in the sky_  
What is love  
Can the child within my heart rise above  
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides  
Can I handle the seasons of my life” 

It’s Natasha’s voice that’s louder at first. There’s tears in her throat and fear in her eyes. She can open and close herself easily to an enemy, fishing for what she needs, but it’s all a job. It’s easy when she can manipulate the truth from everyone else, but incredibly hard to manipulate the truth from herself. Intimacy and love mean far more to her than anyone can understand. That’s why she wears mask after mask, hiding the truth from everyone but one. Love is for children, she claims, but is there not a child lurking within her heart? That same child still holds onto hope, even if it’s the smallest speck of light in the dark caverns of her heart.

_“Well, I’ve been afraid of changing_  
Cause I built my life around you  
But time makes you bolder  
Children get older  
I’m getting older too” 

Clint’s voice is louder then, but Natasha still sings along. It’s like he wants the verse to himself, to tell her something. He knows the song by heart and he doesn’t need to see the strings. He just needs to see Natasha’s face, let his blue eyes and sincere voice speak far more volumes than anything he could ever say. He wants her forgiveness, for compromising her and for hurting the one most important to him.

By this time, Pepper has backed out of the song. She plays, her eyes on the strings and the walls and occasionally glancing at the mini-crowd that showed up.

_“So, take this love and take it down_  
Yeah, and if you climb a mountain and you turn around  
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills  
Well the landslide brought me down  
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills  
Well maybe  
Well maybe  
Well maybe the landslide will bring you down” 

There are cheers and applause but Natasha and Clint don’t hear it at all. Their eyes are locked and it’s like they’re in their own little world. He gives her a smile and she nods and it’s like they’re speaking their own little language. His face is softer and there’s a flash of vulnerability in her eyes and something unspoken hangs in the air. Pepper sees it too and holds her breath, not wanting to disturb a thing.

Too bad her boss wasn’t the same way.

“Not bad you two, not bad,” Tony says, clapping loudly. “Really, ‘Natalie,’ you couldn’t put singer down on your resume? Would’ve looked better than knowing Latin.” He’s teasing and trying to be supportive in his own way, but the spell has been broken. Four sets of eyes are glaring at him.

“Do you have to keep making jokes? Can’t you be quiet for one minute?” Steve snaps.

Tony turns to him and jokes, “One minute? And break my current record of forty-five seconds? That’s asking for a lot.”

Frustrated, Natasha walks past him in a hurry, purposely pushing her shoulder against his arm. As their eyes turn to meet, Tony’s sure he could see revenge brewing, but it also could have been embarrassment. He doesn’t know and frankly, he doesn’t care. He’s not scared of her. He is nervous of the glare Pepper gives him and the way Clint’s fingers press against the guitar, tight, like a bow.

“Really, Tony, did you have to do that? Do you know how long it took us to get Natasha in here?”

“Is that all you need, Pepper? Some excuse to get her to sing? I’ll make a karaoke night. Hey, that’s a great idea, actually. Perfect excuse for tons of drinking and binging and shitty songs. Hey, Cap can finally have some fondue.” Steve’s cheeks turn pink and he turns away. Tony gives Clint a big grin in his direction. “If you wanna sing your feelings out to the girl on fire, boy with the bow, feel free to do so.”

Clint shook his head with a small smirk, like he had a secret all to himself. Letting go of the strings, all he said was, “Fine. I feel sorry for you, Stark. I wouldn’t piss off Nat if I were you.”

“Oh yeah. Cold War’s coming back. Felt it as she left. C’mon, is that the worse she could do?”

—–

It was almost two days later before anyone saw Natasha again. The guys were all on the same floor. Clint went for target practice, when Tony was showing Steve just how much better he made his shield. More indestructible. Bruce was asked to watch and Thor was there to demonstrate. Dummy held the shield and if robots could emote, he’d be shaking with nerves.

“Really, Rogers, it’s a lot better now. Coulson would be proud. It can take on Thor’s lightning! Hey, Lightning Rod, let ‘er have it.”

Thor stands confused as he points to himself. “Do you mean me, Man of Iron?”

“Yeah, you. You’re-”

“Can it still repel bullets?” Natasha walks in, Pepper right behind her. The redhead is serious but the blonde is all smiles. Very professional. If none of them knew better, they’d think Pepper was Natasha’s assistant. Tony doesn’t mind. He’s fueled by pride to remember the past couple of days.

“Of course it would.”

“Rogers, has it been tested for bullets?”

“It had, back in the 40’s,” Steve answers, but he can see where the conversation is going. He doesn’t say a thing. He stays close to Thor’s side as he watches Natasha stroll over. All eyes are on her. Everyone but Thor and Tony have an idea of what’s going to happen but they don’t say a word.

Tony was given word two days ago not to piss her off. Technically, Tony was given longer than that, since she potentially an ‘expensive lawsuit,’ but he never listened to warnings. They weren’t fun. Pushing buttons was fun.

And Natasha’s was pushed. Taking her gun from her holster, she has it right next to Stark’s ear as she’s firing round after round at Captain America’s new shield. Nine rounds later, she puts the gun back in her holster and looks extremely satisfied.

“Much better.”

All Tony hears is a ringing in his ears. He yells out, “What?” as he sticks his finger in his ear, picking at it and trying to get the ringing to stop. “The hell? What the hell was that, Romanoff?”

“Just a Walter PP,” she answered, though he can’t hear her. He’s cursing and she’s beckoning Bruce over as Pepper laughs. “Thanks for coming to help out, Banner.”

“Oh, I had to see it all fold out.” He smiles and goes to Tony’s side. He notices Pepper join him, a pad of paper in her grasp. “I’m surprised you had a hand in this.” He checks over his science bro and she’s still smiling with a purpose behind it.

“Normally I’d be protective, but when Mr. Stark,” and that’s a sign she’s just a tad angry with him, “messes up one of Potts’ projects, he needs to learn the hard way not to do that. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Banner laughs. “I’m not disagreeing with you there.”

“Huh? Oh God- am I deaf? Don’t make fun of the deaf guy!”

“The Man of Iron can’t hear anymore?”

“It’s just temporary,” Bruce reassured everyone, writing it down so Tony knew as well. It seemed Pepper, Natasha, and Clint knew of this ahead of time. Steve and Thor didn’t. They know now.

They also know never to piss off Natasha, especially when it involves feelings or Clint. Her revenge is as cruel as a spider’s bite. The feeling is probably mutual, based on the smug look on his face.

Natasha strolls over to Clint and speaks aloud, so they all can hear, “It’s okay. He’ll be able to hear in time for that ‘karaoke night’ of his.”

“Oh good,” Clint says with a grin, arms over his chest as he holds his bow. “Maybe we can give him another duet.”

“Maybe. Might be fun.” She leans in close and whispers, for his ears only. “I might have another Fleetwood Mac song for you though. Back at your nest around midnight.” There’s a smirk on his lips as she leaves. The ghost of her breath on his ear makes him shiver as he fishes for another arrow. He decides to have a song ready for her too. He’s not sure if he’ll pick Fleetwood Mac, but something that sums up his feelings just right. It’s decided just as he hits the bullseye.

Then they can get to work on a song dedicated for Tony.

Pepper would be on her own though. She has her own voice and her own way of telling him just what he needs to know. He might not even need to hear it, but it certainly would help.


End file.
